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KELLIE
Pronounced KEL-ee

ETYMOLOGY: The meaning of the name Kellie was originally the anglicized form of the Irish Gaelic name "Ceallach"
Ceallach pronounced KELL-ach, means strife, bright headed, church goer or monastery.

ORIGIN & HISTORY: The Irish surname of Kelly and O'Kelly inspired the use of the personal name Kellie. Starting in the beginning of the 20th century and used mostly as a boy's name. In 1954, actress Grace Kelly, Academy Award winning actress, may have inspired the use as a first name for girls. The name also indicated church goer.

POPULARITY: One of the 1,000 most popular names in the United States 6 decades since 1880. In the 1960's and 1970's the name Kellie surged to the top of the popularity charts for both boys and girls. The name became less popular following the 1980's as parents started creating more unique names for their infants.

One variation of the spelling is Kelli. In 2000- 2003 Kelli ranked 646th in popularity for females of all ages in a sample from the Social Security Administration statistics, and in Kelli was rated 366th in popularity for females in a sample from the 1990 US Census.

FASCINATING FACTS:
''Kelly's eye'' is a popular bingo term for the number 1.
''Ned Kelly'' is an Australian rhyming slang for belly.

NAMESAKES:
If you search the name "Kellie" on Google.com, the top results include Kellie Pickler, winner of the singing competition on television called "American Idol."

FAMOUS PERSONS:
Kellie Waymire, a young actress who starred in the daytime soap opera, "One Life to Live" and several other television shows and movies, was born July 27, 1967. She died in 2003 from cardiac arrhythmia.

Kellie Martin, an actress who played in the sitcom "ER" as well as other shows, was born October 16, 1975.

Kellie Everts, a female body builder, calls herself "A Stripper For God" and has been featured in "Playboy" Magazine 9 times. She was born July 16, 1945

Kellie Shanygne Williams, an actress nominated 3 times for the Young Artist Award, stars in a series called "Family Matters". She was born march 22, 1976

NAME VARIANTS:
Kelli, Kelly, Kelley, Kellyn, Kellye, and Kelle.
Nicknames for Kellie is Kel.

The Pictish word meaning of Kellie is holly or wood.

Kellie and it's alternative spellings are popular surnames, especially in Ireland.

Learn more about this author, Trisha Orlando.
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